Cheapest DIY Powder Coating Guide | How To Powder Coat On A Budget At Home | Best Kit
In this video I show how using a cheap powder coating kit and a redundant domestic oven you can powder coat at home and get really great results. I powder coat the hubs of my 1975 Triumph Bonneville T140V.
Here is the powder coating kit I use: https://ebay.us/r7j34e
Gloss Black Powder Coat: https://ebay.us/diZg4J
High Temp Making Tape: https://ebay.us/BPanm4
150L Compressor: https://ebay.us/A0tEco
Painting Mask: https://ebay.us/ST1JF9
Imperial Combination Spanner Set: https://ebay.us/gYz85M
Imperial 1/2inch Socket set: https://ebay.us/jylH05
Imperial Allen Hex Bit Sockets: https://ebay.us/iFV0OQ
Powder coating gives a tough and durable finish to motorcycle parts. It is very popular to have the frame powder coated, and some people also have other parts done at the same time, such as the swing arm and engine plates. However there are a lot of other parts that can be powder coated, and if you are getting them done professionally it can become quite expensive.
This budget powdercoating kit is easily available and not very expensive. Obviously you will also need to have a compressor, but most workshops, even small home ones, already have a compressor.
For this bike I am going to powder coat a lot of the parts, but in this video I am starting with the Hubs. I am going for a Desert Sled, Street Scrambler, type of bike, and as part of the look I want black rims and hubs with nice shiny stainless steel spokes. I have already stripped the wheels, and I have used a home vapour blaster to clean the hubs.
Just like painting and polishing, powder coating depends on the preparation of the item to get the best finish. For powder coating you really want it smooth with a slightly matt surface so that the powder can stick well. Most steel parts are sand blasted to give them a rust free surface finish. But with aluminium, I would prefer vapour blasting with perhaps a final touch up with Scotchbrite.
Having got a good surface finish, the next part of the powder coating process it to heat the item to the same temperature as when you are powder coating it for at least 20 minutes. This is to remove any oils and grease from the item. All metals will allow some grease or oil to get into the surface of the metal, and blasting alone will not get it out. If you don’t do this stage you will get some parts of the item not taking the powder correctly so it is essential.
Next you mask and give the part a final wipe with a good degreasing solvent. The masking tape needs to be of the high temperature variety so that it will work during the heat part of the process.
Having masked you need to suspend the item so that you can spray it. Just like with paint, once you have sprayed you can’t touch the item until the whole process is complete. However with powder coating you will need to move the item to an oven, so you need to bear this in mind when you are suspending it and work out how you are going to move it an suspend it in the oven.
The powder coating equipment is then set up and the powder applied. The box has a wire that you attach to the item, and when you press the foot switch, it makes the item have a negative charge. The powder is then applied with a gun that gives it a positive charge so that it will stick to the item. It does stick quite well and won't just drop off while you are moving the item to the oven.
Powder can have different heat and cure times, but they don’t seem to vary a lot. It is important that the item gets up to temperature, not just the air in the oven. I have found that allowing the item to heat for 10 to 15 minutes once you have put it in the oven, before allowing the cure time seems to work well. So I generally allow over 30 minutes from the time the oven gets up to temperature before I turn it off. And as for temperature I aim for 190C, 390F, but a little bit under or over doesn’t make a big difference.
I am really pleased with how the powder coated items come out, so it is a process I use a lot. Especially in the Winter when the cold and damp prevents me from painting any parts.
If you have a go, you will very likely be pleased with what you achieve, it is very satisfying.
For more helpful how-to guides and restoration project logs, visit our blog: https://www.spannerrash.com/
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